kingship that Duncan had more and more. Together Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth plotted to hurry Macbeth’s reign, by killing Duncan themselves. At night Macbeth gains access to Duncan’s sleeping quarters, kills the guards, and stabs King Duncan to death. After the murder, Macbeth is clearly shaken, and can hardly believe what he has done. He says. ”What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes! Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No; this mine will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine making the green one red.” Macbeth thinks that nothing will wash his hands clean, they will turn the ocean red. Lady Macbeth tells him that he is worrying too much, and that he should wash his hands and go to bed. Macbeth takes his guilty conscience with him to bed and wishes that he had not done what he had done. The blood on his hands is symbolic of the guilt that he feels.Although at times Macbeth feels guilty for his actions, that guilt is not a deterrent, it just made him feel as though he could get away with anything. However, he soon became very paranoid. He begins to worry about Banquo and Fleance possibly taking over the throne, so he plots to kill them. He succeeds in killing his friend Banquo, but Fleance escapes. Then at a banquet to honor Banquo, Macbeth again sees visions, this time they are visions of a bloody ghost of Banquo. Again revealing his guilt. He says to the ghost, ” Avaunt and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold.Paranoia sets in again, and Macbeth plans yet another murder. This time aimed toward Macduff, but Macduff fled to Scotland to get Malcom’s help. They both return to confront Macbeth, but, now Macbeth is left to defend his castle by himself. Macbeth kills Malcom and tells Macduff that his blood cannot be shed by anyone that was born of a woman. Macduff accepts the chall...
